Latin | Brazil Vinyl 7 Inch 224 Items

New Parisian label, Disques Messager, presents its first release and not the least. As its name suggests, the label has a simple leitmotiv: to place itself among the best messengers for rarities and sought-after gems of the international rare groove. A mission which begins rather well, with the official reissue of these two stirring titles by Brazilian singer and composer Cristina Camargo. Native of Rio De Janeiro, Cristina Camargo had quite a short career, releasing only 2 albums in 1980 and 1981, but still enough to collaborate with some of the best composers, musicians and producers at that time. Her first self-titled album was therefore produced by Robson Jorge & Lincoln Oliveti and recorded with some of the finest musicians. “Moral Tem Hora” comes from this same LP and is a perfect example of the unique alchemy that emerged when the Disco and Boogie invaded the Brazilian music scene. A quite hard to find Boogie killer, composed by famous brothers, Marcos and Paulo Sérgio Valle. On B side comes “Minas Do Rei Salomão”, a more chilled-out title extracted from Cristina’s 2 nd album, Santa Maravilha. With its funky slapped bass, airy keyboards and the sweet vocals of Cristina, the song seems made to sip a nice cocktail at Ipanema.

Discodelic and Groovie Records present two incredible singles / amazing finds of musical archeology. Four recordings made in Panama in the 70s and lost in time, we finally managed to license these Latin Psych Funk gems through Tamayo Records in a deluxe limited edition. These four groups Conjunto Raza, The Meditators, The Scepters and Los Misticos, were groups that barely recorded a single, which were only used for radio stations and forgotten in warehouses, they represent the most underground and forgotten Panama!

Progressive quartet Combo Chimbita debut the first release on their own label with a track that combines their psychedelic tendencies with the rootsy elements of dub reggae filtered through the guacharaca and chicha-influenced guitar of cumbia. "Margarita" and its dub companion "Nene" comprise a sonically lush 7-inch single that represents the latest chapter in the ever-evolving Combo's sound. After a multi-year run that saw them grow from a loose improvisational collective into a compact, electrifying act that held enthralled concert halls in their hands, Combo Chimbita has entered a period of introspection and new experimentation. Turning to a producer who has been a guru of sorts to the Brooklyn scene, in late 2023 they entered the studio of Victor Axelrod, aka Ticklah, to record a couple new compositions. In contrast to the outward boundary-pushing of their last album, these new songs see the group burrowing deeply into their interior roots. "We wanted to make a song returning to cumbia, one of those rhythms that has influenced us," says frontwoman Carolina Oliveros. The added ingredient of Ticklah — a musician and producer heavily steeped in the sonic stew of reggae — overseeing the recording added a distinctive flavor to the session, and gave the group room to "play with the nuances between dub reggae and cumbia," as Oliveros puts it. "I like how the band brought in traditional Colombian elements, but never anything outright derivative," Ticklah says. "Margarita" inhabits a middle ground, an in-between area much like that of Abya Yala, an indigenous name for the isthmus that connects South and Central America and, not coincidentally, the namesake of the group's own newly formed label, of which this single is the first release. The metaphor runs deeper, as the group members' lives are lived between their Colombian heritage and their assumed status as immigrants in New York City (and, given their international fame, further beyond), and deeper still as the themes of displacement and mutable identity are threaded thru Oliveros's lyrics. The ambiguity of time, space, and meaning itself coalesce in the combination of those hair-raising, utterly soulful vocalizations — "what I cannot say by speaking," Oliveros explains — and the hypnotic rhythm born of the unspoken communication between Niño Lento, Prince Of Queens, and Dilemastronauta. The vocal version of "Margarita" is backed by a trademark Ticklah dub version of the cut ("Nene Dub"), awash in analog delays and King Tubby-like punch-ins and drop-outs, shot through with Oliveros's plaintive cries to "not worry" ("no te preocupes").

Claudia - Garra

Rich, sweet, orchestral bossa nova/MPB from the excellent Claudia, another of our favourite artists and featured several times in this series. Taken from her ‘Você, Claúdia, Você’ LP released in 1971 by Odeon Brazil.

Os Tres Morais - Freio Dynamico

Uptempo, cinematic, vocal MPB/Jazz with muted trumpets, pinging bass guitar strings and even a little bit of fuzz for good measure! Os Tres Morais we’re two brothers and a sister; Jane Vincentina, Sidney and Roberto do Espírito Santo. They formed in 1963.

‘Freio Dynamico’ is taken from the groups self-titled LP on Odeon 1971.

Our leading lady of the series, Claudia, is back once again, this time
with a double A-side.
‘Macumba’ is taken from one of her several self-titled LP’s, the one in
question released in 1970 on Premier, Brazil. Sought after in its
original form.
Psychedelic, orchestral, MPB, exotica with hints of Bollywood! Horns
strings and spaced out male vocals back Claudia’s amazing lead. Highly
unique.
‘Baoba’ is taken from Claudia’s all-killer-no-filler Jesus Cristo LP,
from Odeon released in 1971.
Heavy on the strings and tough on the funk drums, before it breaks into
a vocal jazz section, then back into the groove. Reminiscent of Swedish
folk-funk singer Doris, whose album we reissued in the past.

Supreme MPB/bossa-nova vibes here on both tracks from our leading Brazil 45’s lady, Claudia.
‘Diexa o Morro Cantar’ features on Claudia’s very first 7”, relaeased in 1965 by RGE Brazil.
Claudia’s version ’Mas Que Nada’ is more of a jazzy, folk-funk take on the Ben classic. A relatively recent discovery made during our last trip to Brazil!

Catchy melodies and tropical rhythms. CaSSETTE Con-los, the best calypso/Latin band in Japan, is releasing a 7-inch ahead of their long-awaited full-length album, their first in 13 years! CaSSETTE Con-los, which boasts deep-rooted popularity among various fans for its genre-less and borderless musicality and euphoric live shows, has completed its long-awaited full-length album, their first in about 13 years. This album is a precursor single that serves as a greeting to the fans. The release includes two songs, "Eiga Demo Miyou" (Let's watch a movie), a Japanese calypso with a catchy melody and superb vocals, and "4 Mills Brothers," a serious and mellow song that will not be included on the album, but is familiar to the live audience and is a perfect greeting.

Double sider of uptempo vintage MPB samba jazz from Carlos Sodré, originally released as a 33rpm ‘compacto’ 7” single on Copacabana in 1965.

It's often a good sign when one of your favorite musicians steps out from beyond the studio walls and past the stage lights to fulfill their own inspired and creative intent. And Caíto Sánchez is not just a favorite musician, but as his lengthy resume as a sideman shows, he's also one of your favorite musicians' favorite musicians, constantly working without fanfare as an essential ingredient in a larger music feast. Sánchez earned his stripes in the 2000s and beyond as a key session player and an integral touring band member, a quiet standout even among many oversized personalities. A dedicated drummer born in Panama and living in New York, Sánchez is quite capable of keeping time for legends like Charles Bradley, Lee Fields, and Brian Jackson, as well as supporting eclectic outfits like the live groups of Quantic, Chico Mann and Midnight Magic. For all the players who have shared a stage or studio with him it comes as no real surprise, and frankly as a long overdue development, that such a unique artistic force is finally stepping into the spotlight.
With this debut single we get a glimpse into Sánchez's creative and artistic personal space, more precisely a multi-instrumental discipline of not only drums, but also bass, guitar and lead voice. It's an intensely intimate recording debut, a fantastic studio concoction born from the heart of its creator, and later fostered and mixed down by the talented hands of Nyct and Daptone veteran Victor Axelrod. The defining result on this initial 7-inch offering are two heavy psychedelic and moody nuggets of rock enespañol, a decidedly new wave of sounds and style that are quite capable of shining on their own.

Sometimes the best things take time to come into fruition, and here we are, ready to finally unleash Brazil45 number 88 - the missing 7"! Featuring two Mr Bongo favourites that we have been longing to share with the world.

First up is a lesser-known Brazilian Boys track titled 'Super Herois’. This slightly trippy and quirky funk-rock groove is taken off an obscure 7" on CID records and was originally released in 1975. 'Super Herois' is super catchy, addictive and a guaranteed complete earworm. It’s a muti genre, crossover nugget that will branch scenes and tick all sorts of boxes.

On the flip is the driving, jazz-rock-samba dancefloor joint 'Tudo Ai’, a cut taken from Rubinho E Mauro Assumpção's highly sought after 1972 album 'Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei’. Originally released on Tapecar Records, this short in stature track packs a real punch!

In Mr Bongo’s opinion, 'Imprevisto' is one of the most unmistakable Brazilian jazz records ever made. Dramatic intro and hypnotic piano line, decorated with panned percussion before the hats come in. Then the upright bass. A true classic.

Bossa Três formed in 1961 in Rio. They spent most of their early years touring jazz clubs in the USA, before the original line up and their pianist (and perhaps most well-known band member) Luis Carlos Vinhas, returned to Brazil. This is the final track on their Em Forma! LP from 1965, released on Forma. The original pressing of this Brazil 45 was the first time ‘Imprevisto’ had been released on a 7”.

We know very little about Ana Rosely. She released four 7” 2-track records between 1975 and 1984, the latter featuring the brilliant ‘Skim Dum Dum Dum’. The original version was released by RGE Discos in 1984, which came as a surprise to us given the sound. It is very difficult to find an original copy in good condition and they are, as ever, increasing in price.

Remastered with refreshed artwork.

Although perhaps not a household name like Sergio Mendes, Marcos Valle or Flora Purim, Bororó is considered to be one of the most important and talented Brazilian musicians of his time. Taking his moniker from the indigenous people of his country, who live in the state of Mato Grosso, Bororó steadily built his career for well over a quarter of a century, along the way performing live and in the studio with such legends as Gal Costa, Milton Nascimento and Caetano Veloso.

As mood changers go, this track is up there with the best. Last year whilst DJing with miche at Shapes festival in the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, a breathtaking yet ominous Alpine sky suddenly became a picture postcard moment. The clouds parted and a double rainbow formed, as miche dropped Studio Rio's bossa nova remake of Bill Withers’ all-time classic 'Lovely Day'. From there, the dancefloor shifted gears and morphed into full-swing feel-good vibes, in a beautiful, spontaneous moment nobody could have planned for.

Mr Bongo now proudly presents a reissue of this brilliant, bossa-channelling Bill Withers reinterpretation from Studio Rio’s 2014 release ‘The Brazil Connection’. Masterminded by the German Grammy award-winning Berman Brothers, the project was born out of their deep love of Brazilian music. “Our goal was to bring the Brazilian joie de vivre to iconic performances by well-known artists. What would these classic songs sound like had they been recorded in the studios of Rio de Janeiro in the first place, with the best Brazilian musicians and arrangers?” the brothers reflect.

Capturing the life force of Brazil, the beating heart that is its music, they set out to find the musicians who would fit best with their concept. Landing in Rio in 2013 a series of coincidences led to them being introduced to their idols Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal, who both agreed to come on board. The Berman Brothers also wanted to find some of the musicians who recorded with one of Brazil’s most influential composers Tom Jobim. “Fifty years after Jobim made the music that really defines bossa nova, we found that many of his sidemen were still active, including Paulo Braga of Jobim’s famed rhythm section. It was magic; everything just fell into place.”

There's no question that the original of ‘Lovely Day’ is up there as one of the most feel-good, spirit-lifting anthems of all time. Here the brothers, with the help of a whole host of Brazil’s finest musicians, rework Bill’s soul-fuelled groove into a bossa nova slice of sunshine. With the blessing of Bill and Sony, they were given access to the original multitracks so they could incorporate Bill’s vocals perfectly into the new arrangement.

Joy-injected horns and bouncing double bass blend with the smile-inducing samba flavour of Pretinho da Serrinha’s cavaquinho playing. Tying it all together Torcuato Marinao who worked with the likes of Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, completes the line-up as arranger of the songs.

The perfect end-of-the-night track, mood lifter or soul warmer, remakes don’t get much better than this.

Music With Soul returns with another genre-defying instant classic, expanding the limits of the Tropical Dance music universe.
Staying true to the label's essence, founder Alex Figueira places a high bet with this new release, introducing a brand new breed of traditional “Hindoestan” (Indian diaspora in Surinam) music and Cumbia. Taking the music of underground Surinam musician and empresario A. Bechan for an explorative excursion into the depths of the Colombian caribbean coast, this explosive combination raises the bar unquestionably. Equally weird, groovy and trippy, this 45 will turn any party upside down, regardless of any factors. The only problem you will encounter is what to play after. The solution is right on the other side. Just flip the record and give them the Instrumental version, featuring electric guitar, an alternative percussion set up and the beloved classic Juno-60 synthesizer in the leading role for another 4 minutes of dancefloor catharsis.

Debut 7" of a 7-piece Caribbean + Afrobeat + Dub combo led by Frente Cumbiero saxophonist/clarinetist Marco Fajardo! This is a masterpiece that shows how Colombian dance music has cultivated its mellow sound by greedily incorporating Caribbean and African music through the culture of the Pico Sound System, which is popular in the Caribbean Gulf Coast region, especially in the Caribbean city of Barranquilla. The artwork was drawn by Inti-Huayra Guevara Rios from Bogota.

The b-side wins again! Sampled to fame by Madlib for the mighty Madvillain album!

We are celebrating the 100th release in the Brazil45 series with a massive track. The enticing and exotic samba 'Redondo Sambão' is pure Brazilian fire. With beautiful female vocal-group arrangements, floating flutes and vibrating rhythms, this song oozes charm. Its only downside being that it is over far too soon. Originally released in 1967 on a compact 7" on the Som Maior imprint, to our knowledge, the group sadly only had a couple of releases.

'Brasileiro' is taken from Jorginho Telles' self-titled 1971 album and also featured on a 7", both released on Copacabana Records. The track switches between a hoarse male vocal crooner and a rough and raw psych-guitar, RnB dancer: totally magic!

Arthur Verocai’s first appearance in the series – a double A-side featuring
tracks from his incredible self-titled LP, soon to be reissued on Mr Bongo.
Sylvia is a warm guitar-led instrumental orchestral samba, laced with
percussion and woodwind.
Na Boca do Sol is a firm favourite from the LP – a perfect mix of drums,
rhodes, vocals and strings.

"When Greg Caz and Deano Sounds teamed up to create The Brasileiro Treasure Box Of Funk & Soul they created a collection of vintage Brazilian music that stretches across the scope of funk, soul, and psychedelic. Co-compiler and Brazilian music aficionado, Greg Caz says: “Without necessarily having a central theme
other than funky nuggets from the first half of the 70s, we believe this compilation displays its own particular
sense of logic, and that these songs ultimately all sound fantastic together. Regardless of one’s familiarity, or lack thereof, with artists like Antonio Carlos & Jocafi, Os Incríveis, Toni Tornado or Celia, the material on these 45s speaks its own truth and justifies their inclusion here. Many of these were originally available as singles, while others were taken from albums, but all are guaranteed to find their way into many
DJ boxes and playlists.”

The stunning 45s from this set will now be available for individual sale. The series kicks off with Toni Tornado’s 1972 single Bochechuda b/w Aposta as well as a split 45 with the out and out rocker from Antônio Carlos & Jocafi (Quem Vem Lá) on the A-Side and the groove laden “Paz E Amor” from Os Incriveis on the B-Side."

‘2 Minutos De Um Novo Dia’ – pacey samba-funk-MPB that originally appeared on a 7” from 1969 released on Odeon Brazil. Soaring vocals, strings and horns over alternating full and half-time funk drum breaks. Very big indeed.

‘Candomble’ has been a resident in our DJ sets for a long, long time. A retrained, deeper opening section drops into drum heavy, rich uptempo jazzy-MPB. Super catchy vocal hooks and piano lines sit over the top from start to finish. Taken from their self titled album from 1975 on RCA.

Anilza Pinho de Carvalho, better known by her stage name Anilza Leoni was a Brazilian actress, singer, former ballerina and painter.

Balumba is uptempo samba jazz at it’s finest. Originally appeared on a very obscure 7” on Copacobana in 1967 entitled ‘Enfarte Musical / Festa Do Balamba’, and was included by Nicola Conte on his Viagem Vol. 4 compilation.

Sambalanço Trio were formed by Cesar Camargo Mariano, Humberto Clayber and Airto Moreira in 1960’s Sao Paulo. The group released some of the most important records of the period and in the genre of samba-jazz.

When the group split in 1965 Airto formed Quarteto Novo with Hermeto Pascoal, and Cesar Mariano went on form Som Tres.

Sam Blues is a Mr Bongo HQ favourite - uptempo bossa jazz fusion, taken from their self-titled LP originally released on Audio Fidelity (Brazil) in 1964.

Debes Llorar' is the second of two super limited 7"s being dropped by Dez Andres on the fledgling Future Rootz label. Like the other one, this 45 pulls out plenty of the Cuban influences Dez is known for. A-side 'Debes Llorar' is all life-affirming chords that fans of his classic 'New 4 U' will recognise, but stitched over ticking and raw drum beats with a Latin shuffle and Spanish vocals. 'Aqui Estamos' takes things down a notch with a more sunset sound, hip-hop flecked deep house beats and seductive vocal sounds next to gorgeous little acoustic guitar riffs

Brian Jackson dives into the world of Alfonso Lovo

Legendary musician Brian Jackson, known for his pioneering work in neo-soul and modern hip hop, has lent his extraordinary talents to retouch two tracks from Alfonso Lovo's remarkable album "Terremoto Richter 6:25 Managua.”

As one-half of the influential duo Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, Brian began his career at an early age, having recorded nine albums by his 27th birthday. He is widely celebrated as a musical innovator, with New Yorker Magazine recently hailing him as “a musical pioneer” in a 2022 article.

Alfonso Noel Lovo, moved by the devastating earthquake that struck Managua on December 23, 1972, recorded his first album in New Orleans the following year. "Terremoto Richter 6:25 Managua" stands as a testament to resilience and artistic fusion, featuring a stunning blend of psychedelic rock, mazurka, jazz, Louisiana blues, and African folk.

Dominican multi-instrumentalist Alex Malajunta is back on wax with a super hot, up-tempo, original merengue with "Rumbón." Party tested and dancer approved! The B-side is an updated version of the 1980s Ramon Orlando hit "Weo" featuring the merengue legend himself! Excellent call and response on this song for audience engagement.

Alex Figueira, the man behind Music With Soul, Fumaça Preta & Conjunto Papa Upa, has teamed up with Maxado, Brazil's leading rocksteady vocalist, to create another impossible crossover, connecting the dots of the vast tropical music map that have remained appart for far too long.
What if the now-legendary producer Lee Perry had recorded & produced the nascent Wailers trio of Neville Livingston, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, not in Kingston, the scorching hot Jamaican capital, but instead in Belém, an even hotter city, at the heart of the Brazilian Amazon.
Whilst Kingston's airwaves and street parties were dominated by the locally produced rocksteady, ska and reggae, Belém was dancing to it's own beat of carimbó and siriá.
Alex Figueira and Maxado, two avid fans of both musical traditions, entered the Barracão Sound Studio, Amsterdam's famed vintage recording studio, determined to find an answer to that hypothetical question. The result is not only tangible and unprecedented, but incredibly emotive & hypnotic too.
The chorus of "Quando Será" is unnervingly apt for our times tool, "Quando será que eu vou te ver?", or "When will I see you?" the song asks. Well until we see each other, Music With Soul offers some musical relief in the form of this collaborative song.
The B side offers a beautiful touching instrumental version, led by the impeccable flute rendition of Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Milliet, a prominent member of the Brazilian music scene in Amsterdam and Alex's long time collaborator having shared the stage countless times in the past 3 years. His delicate phrasing will give you goosebumps.
Alex Figueira is well known as the man behind experimental tropical rock-outfit, Fumaça Preta, and more recently the psychedelic tropical dance band, Conjunto Papa Upa. Meanwhile, he has become a staple of the Amsterdam scene, having either played with, recorded or produced everyone from Mauskovic Dance Band to Altin Gün. São Paulo-based musician & singer composer Maxado made his mark fronting Firebug, Brazil's leading, if not only, rocksteady band, also featuring influential musician, producer and mix engineer Victor Rice. The two musicians met during Alex's first trip to Brazil, when he was already a massive Firebug fan, and quickly formed a firm friendship. Finally over the course of Maxado's first visit to Amsterdam, the pair had a crack at writing & recording together, quickly discovering that their chemistry extended to the studio. Now you can hear the first fruits of their blossoming musical relationship.

The joyful and melancholy songs of the soul that have been sung on Tumaco, a small island in the Pacific Gulf of Colombia that has been exposed to violence, abandoned, and isolated, are now echoing across the world's dance floors. The world's first recording of Alba Maria Valencia and her group Cantoras DE Yerbabuena, the bearers of a little-known local tradition, who were born and raised on the small island of Tumaco, also known as "the pearl of the Pacific," and have been singing the songs they learned from their parents for over 65 years! The artwork for the sleeve is by Yukie Monnai. The semicircular arch in the background, which was a symbol of Tumaco, collapsed earlier this year and is no longer there. Alba Maria Valencia and the members of Cantoras de Yerba Buena are very happy to have this arch painted on the sleeve.

Abelardo Carbono aka "The Godfather of Champeta" meets Abelardo Carbono x Quantic!! A miraculous encounter between a Colombian music - alternative Latin legend and a neo-tropical music innovator who inherits his aspirations. A shocking collaboration between Abelardo Carbono, who was "rediscovered" during the tropical music revival and has become loved by DJs around the world as the "Godfather of Champeta," and Eblis Alvarez, aka the Meridian Brothers, who gained even greater recognition with "cumbia Siglo Xxi"! Produced/recorded by Will Holland aka Quantic and Lucas Silva, supervisor of "Palenque Palenque" (Soundway), "Machuca" (Analog Africa), etc.